


Ask a God a Question, Get an Answer

by fox_an_hound



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Gen, Incest, Pseudo-Incest, godly incest so not really, hypnos/charon mentioned, just bros being dudes, mentioned incest, thanatos/zagreus but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28659615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fox_an_hound/pseuds/fox_an_hound
Summary: Zagreus and Hypnos are friends. They share a cup of wine and have a nice chat.
Relationships: Hypnos & Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Kudos: 17





	Ask a God a Question, Get an Answer

For the first time in - well, a very long time - Hypnos wasn’t asleep when Zagreus walked from the river of Styx. That isn’t to say he was  _ aware  _ of his friend, not until Zagreus was standing directly in front of him and waving a hand before his face.

“Hypnos?  _ Hypnos?” _

Startled out of his thoughts, the god in question clutched his list to his chest with a loud gasp.

Zagreus tried his best to hide his smile as he stepped back and gave the god of sleep a bit of room to cool the blush from his grey cheeks. “Have you mastered the art of sleeping with your eyes open, there, mate? You were worlds away.”

“Yeah, I was,” Hypnos laughed quietly to himself and pushed his hair out of his face, not looking at his list to see how Zagreus died before clicking his tongue sardonically. “Oof, doesn’t matter. You were out there quite a while, weren’t you, Zagreus? Golly gee, did Redacted get you again? That’s like, the tenth time in a row right? Oh, man, maybe you should just, like, give up?”

Zagreus shook his head and chuckled in good nature before scratching the back of his neck. “I actually made it all the way, Hypnos. I met her, my mother. Persephone.”

“Oh.” Unable to help himself, Hypnos glanced down at the list in his hands, “Did she kill you? That’s not very nice- Oh, it says here you just  _ died.  _ Woah! You weren’t killed by  _ anything.  _ Must be those  _ natural causes  _ I always hear shades going on about.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Zagreus’s smile never waned. “You still look out of it, mind if I buy you a drink in the lounge?”

“I don’t know if I should leave my post; your father came back a while ago and he did  _ not  _ look happy - let me tell you.”

“Ah, don’t mind him. I won’t let him say anything to you.”

“Well,” Hypnos snapped and watched his list disappear into thin air, smile taking over his whole face, “If you insist, who am I to disappoint, my prince?”

Rolling his eyes, Zagreus turned and started walking through the halls of the House of Hades toward the lounge. “Wonderful, because I need to speak with you about your brother.”

A chill boulder settled in Hypnos’s stomach as he floated after Zagreus, keeping his distance as the Prince stopped quickly to pet Cerberus and sneak the three headed dog a treat. His brother? What could Zagreus have to say about Charon. Unless he found out something that no one was supposed to know. Or, Charon  _ told  _ him, which was absurd.

Anxiety tickled the short hairs at the back of his neck and he pulled his quilt higher on his shoulders in a futile defense.

Soon enough Zagreus was leading him into the lounge and to a reclusive table, far away from the door. 

“You don’t mind do you?”

Nearly startled out of his skin, Hypnos let out an ungodly squeak. At Zagreus’s raised eyebrow, he quickly cleared his throat and took his seat, cheeks flushed once more. “Of course not! Whatever you like!”

Zagreus’s thick, calloused hand patted his shoulder as he passed him to talk to the head chef.

Hypnos tapped the nails of both his hands absently on the table before him, close to spiraling and letting his anxiety consume him.

What was he going to do when Zagreus confronted him? Relations between related gods were almost a given, but normally one would keep their relations out of immediate family members.

The heavy clunk of two kantharos on the table had Hypnos jumping out of his skin once more and he looked up to see Zagreus frown for the first time.

“Are you alright, Hypnos? You seem… A bit more jumpy than usual, if I may be so forward.”

“It’s nothing!” The rushed, breathless way he answered had Zagreus looking even more skeptical, and Hypnos reached forward to take his kantharos with both hands, pulling the cup closer and trying not to hunch over it. “Well, I suppose…”

Zagreus sat down and pulled his own kantharos closer, leaning forward and ready to listen.

“No, it’s nothing. Haha, sorry for being a real Numbskull. I mean, I really - whoo.” He took a long gulp of sweet wine from the cup and put on a big, fake smile. “Sorry for worrying you, Prince Zagreus.”

Hypnos could tell the prince was unconvinced, yet he thankfully let it slide for the time being.

Their conversation easily moved onto Zagreus’s attempts at escape and the countless nasty shades he has encountered. Hypnos, unable to help himself, offered unhelpful advice that had the corners of the Prince’s lips turning up. 

Zagreus, in turn, offered advice for Hypnos in relation to Cerberus - pet the right-most head only, offer Satyr parts as often as possible, and the like - yet Hypnos assured him in no uncertain terms that he had no intention of getting anywhere near any of the three-headed hellhound’s terrifying maws.

Which, of course, had the prince laughing once more.

Slowly, but surely, Hypnos began to calm down. With the quick, unexpected turns of the conversation and numerous shared mugs of wine between them, he even managed to forget the original reason why he had been asked to the lounge.

A good while passed between them before Zagreus startled to his feet, looking behind his companion with an expression that Hypnos found… hard to read.

“Than.”

“Zagreus.”

Hypnos angled his head back to see the stoic, angry picture his twin made. “Ah! Thanatos! How goes it, killing mortals and all?”

“Shut up, Hypnos.”

Pouting, Hypnos turned in his seat to face his brother correctly, “That’s not very ni-”

“Zagreus, have you not had your fill? I heard you made it to the mortal world. Why are you back, then? To rub it in my face?”

“No, I-”

“Figures, really. I don’t know what I expected.”

“Than-”

“I don’t wish to see you again, Zagreus. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

And without letting Zagreus speak, Thanatos blinked out of the house of Hades in a flash of green.

“Always was the more dramatic one,” Hypnos murmured, pouting his bottom lip out. “He must  _ really  _ be in a bad mood - he hasn’t been that rude to me in ages. Honestly, I think I’m a little touched! Doesn’t mean I’m not going to curse his dreams tonight, of course, but what can you do?”

“Hypnos, I-”

He turned back around at Zagreus’s voice, watching curiously as the prince eased back into his seat and took a long swig of wine. 

“I initially asked you here because I need to ask you something important regarding your brother.”

Fear and anxiety washed over Hypnos and he absently wondered if he could die - but immediately negated that thought, because he would appear in the house of Hades once more. Perhaps he could try to escape the underworld like Zagreus?

No, that wouldn’t work either.

Better just come clean and face the music.

“It was only one time, and nothing actually happened! I pressured Charon into kissing me, it wasn’t his fault - he didn’t even want to do it, really, he’s not the kissing type, if you know what I mean? If you have to punish anyone, please, Prince Zagreus, leave him out of it. But also, go easy on me? I don’t know how well I could handle being sentenced to Tartarus, but honestly, if that’s what you think is best-” Hypnos was choking on his words, forgetting to breathe, and his hands came up to clutch at his quilt around his shoulders, holding himself together futilely. He didn’t notice the hysterical tears that were pooling in his eyes, threatening to fall.

“Woah, woah, that’s not-” Taken completely aback, Zagreus reached across the table and offered an awkward shoulder pat to his emotional friend. “I had no idea - Charon, really? I’m not going to  _ punish  _ you, Hypnos, by Hercules. Please stop crying.”

It took a moment for the words to process, and when they did, Hypnos looked up in confusion and sniffed, his tears falling steadily now. “What?” His voice broke over the single word, emotion strangling his vocal cords.

“I’m not angry with you.” Zagreus offered a small smile, “I’m in love with Thanatos.”

Hypnos blinked quickly. His brows pulled in as he tried to understand what Zagreus was saying to him.

He cocked his head, unable to process it. “Thanatos? Th-” He clenched his fist, pointed it with the intent to start a sentence, and dropped his hand entirely. Finally, he shook his head and quickly wiped at the tear stains on his face before admitting, “I’m lost.”

“Well, to be quite honest, I brought you here to ask you some of your brother’s favorite things - to try and win his favor back. You’ve seen; he’s been crass with me ever since he learned I’m trying to learn more about my mother by visiting the mortal world.”

“Have you tried apologizing?” Hypnos sniffed and took a meek sip of his wine. “He’s angry cause he didn’t find out from you, you know. I’m sure an apology and a few black roses will help. You  _ know  _ he’s always been overdramatic. Just match his drama level with your own.”

“I-” Zagreus’s eyes widened, “Of course, why didn’t I think of that…”

With haste, he pushed himself to his feet and ran toward the entrance of the lounge.

“Hypnos!”

Hypnos turned quickly, to see the prince grinning by the entryway.

“Don’t be afraid to go after him - if you want to!” He flashed two thumbs up and turned once more to take off through the house.

Hypnos could feel his face blushing and he scrunched down in his quilt once more, glad the lounge wasn’t filled to the brim.

Maybe he should? Would Charon want to? Maybe he should talk to him now-

_ “Hypnos! _ Why aren’t you at your post?”

Lord Hades’ angry, booming voice rang through the halls, striking fear directly into Hypnos’s heart.

Zagreus might’ve been lenient, but the Lord of the house was sure to punish him this time.

**Author's Note:**

> My head is filled with Hypnos and I noticed there is a severe lacking in the web of anything having to do with the best boy so I've decided to remedy it... One slow, unbeta'd fic at a time...  
> Also Hypnos/Charon... who is with me???? Show of hands?
> 
> Find me on twt @foxanhound (private, but accepting follows)  
> Find me on tumblr @thespiritofeon (asks are open!)


End file.
